1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to heating pads and particularly to heating pads using a fungible heating element.
2. Description of Related Art
Heating pads have been used for years to warm the body during cold weather and to help soothe sore muscles or joints after heavy work or exercise. Ice has also been used as a way of preventing inflammation and swelling of injured areas of a body. Recent developments in gel technology have produced a gel pack that can be heated in a microwave oven, or cooled in a freezer. This type of pack, however, must be wrapped in a towel before use, as direct contact with the skin can cause injury to the user. Moreover, the gel packs do not provide lasting heat. Finally, the gel packs can crack or break open. Once the plastic container has failed, the gel pack is useless as the gel cannot be contained.
As mentioned above, the gel packs must be used with a towel or other covering to prevent injury. It is also a good idea to use some type of wrap to place and hold the gel pack in place. A gel pack by itself, for example, cannot be wrapped around a knee or ankle without an external wrap or band to secure it in place.
Besides gel packs, traditional heating pads are also available. These pads are typically powered by electricity are not portable. Moreover, these pads cannot be chilled to provide cold therapy if such therapy is needed.